HAVANA, Cuba, May 17 (ChinaMil) -- Raul Castro, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, met with Admiral Miao Hua, member of China’s Central Military Commission (CMC) and director of the CMC Political Work Department, in Havana, Cuba on Thursday morning (local time).

Raul Castro welcomed visiting Admiral Miao Hua and his entourage, and asked Miao to convey his cordial greetings and best wishes to Chinese President Xi Jinping. Raul Castro said that the two countries have built a profound friendship in revolution and construction. The Cuban side thanked China for its long-term support and assistance, and is willing to work with China to consolidate traditional friendship, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and push the relations between the two countries and the two militaries to a new high.

Admiral Miao conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s cordial greetings and good wishes to Raul Castro. He said that the friendship between China and Cuba is profound; the two militaries have kept close exchanges, and are good friends, good comrades and good brothers. The Chinese military is also ready to work hand in hand with the Cuban military to fully implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen friendship, strengthen cooperation, and promote the development of bilateral military relations to a higher level.

On May 14, Admiral Miao Hua and his entourage also held talks with Army Corps General Leopoldo Cintra Frias, Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, and toured some military units in Cuba.